Apparatus for polishing and cleaning plastic articles



4Aug. 6, 1940` 1 G. HILEMAN E1-AL APPARATUS FOR POLISHING AND CLEANING PLASTIC ARTICLES 3 Sheets-Sheet l Filed April '7. 1939 Nav HHHH HHHH UHHHUH u H Aug. 6, 1940. L. G. HILEMAN ET Al.

APPARATUS FOR POLISHING AND CLEANING PLASTIC ARTICLES I Filed April 7. 1959 s sheets-she@ 2 ATTORN Aug. 6, 1940 L. G. HILL-:MAN ETAL APPARATUS FOR POLISHING AND CLEANING PLASTIC ARTICLES 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed April 7, 1939 iLA i L ATI'OR Patented Aug. 6, 1940 Y UNITED STATI-:s PATENT oFF-Ica APPARATUS FORPOLISHNG AND CLEAN- ING PLASTIC ARTICLES .Lawrence G.

Hileman,

Jonesboro, Ind., and

Stephen T. Moreland and Joseph B. lvotoczky, Toledo, Ohio, assignors to Owens-Illinois Glass Company, a corporation of Ohio Application April `7, 1939, Serial No. 266,650

4 Claims. l (Cl. 51-164) The present invention relates to cleaning and polishing apparatus and more particularly to an apparatus for removing flash from articles which have been molded from plastic materials and for 5 polishing the articles preparatory to packaging the same.

'I'he cleaning and polishing apparatus com'- prising the present invention is primarily designed for use in removing the flash from rela- ,0 tively small plastic articles as, for example, bottle caps which are received by the apparatus direct y from the molds of a forming machine while the articles are stillhot. Thus, by the use of the apparatus, not only isv the flash removed and the 1,* articles ponshed'but the arne1es are, in passingthrough the apparatus, given time to cool in orderv that they may be packaged immediately after they have been discharged from. the ap.

paratus.

The principal `object of the invention is to provide an apparatus of the character` set forth above, which is relatively simple in its construction and which is'possessed of a minimum number of moving parts, thus rendering the'appa- 25 ratus rugged and durable and consequently un- .'likely to get out of order.

Another object of the inventlon'is to provide such an' apparatus which, considering the size thereof, is capable of handling a relatively large number of the articles at'one time either by a ow of the articles therethrough or .by the introduction of batches periodically thereinto.

Other objects and advantages of the invention, not at this time enumerated, will become 35 vapparent as the nature of the invention is better understood. Y

In theaccompanying drawings: Fig. 1 is a side ele/rational view, partly in se'ction, of a polishing and cleaning apparatus con- 40 structed in accordance with the principles of the present invention;

Fig. 2 isa sectional view taken, substantially along the line 2li-2 of Fig. Y1w

Fig. 3 is an -enlarged fragmentary sectional 45 view taken through the apparatusion a vertical f plane; I Fig. 4 is a sectional View taken substantially along the line 4-4 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is a sectional view taken substantially 50 along the line 5--5 of Fig. 1;

l Fig. 6 is a sectional view similar to Fig. 3 showing a modified form of the invention; and

Fig. 7 is a sectional view taken substantially along the line I-I of Fig. 6.

' zation a wheeled frame or carrier I0 (Figs. 1 and 2) including front and rear supporting legs Il and I2 respectively which are connected together in the lower regions thereof by means of longi- 60 tudinal and transverse 'cross-pieces I3 and I4 of is a pair of bifurcated brackets 2l.

y brackets 40. :A The apparatus involves in its generalV organirespectively. Transverse cross-pieces, l5 ex tend across the upper ends of each adjacent pair of front and rear legs.

. Pivoted at opposite sides'of the frame I0 to a pair of brackets 9 mounted on the front legs II is a' tiltable platform 'I6 including generally triangular side pieces lI'I and a top I8. Bolt and slot connections I9 between the side plates I'I and a pair of brackets 20 secured to the rear legs I2'permit the inclination of the platform I6 to be .adjusted for a purpose subsequently to appear.

Bolted or otherwise secured to the top I8 of the platform I6 adjacent the forward end there- A similar pair of brackets 22 is secured to the top I8 adjacent .the rear end thereof. A roller 23 is suspended between the bifurcations of each bracket,

the four rollers 23 providing in effect a cradle uponwhich is rotatably supported a hollow open-ended cylindrical tumbler ,barrel 24.

The tumbler barrel `2li (Figs. 3 and 4) is preferably formed of relatively light gauge sheet metal and is perforated as at 25. A hoop or ring 26 vextends around and -is secured'to the barrel 24 at. the forward end thereof and is grooved as at 21 for `tractional support on the rollers 23 carried by the brackets 2|. A similar hoop or ring 28 extends around and is secured to the barrel at the rear end thereof and issgrooved as at 29 for tractional support on the rollers 23 carried by the brackets 22. The barrel 24' is thus loosely and tractionally supported on theribs 35 which extend from the forward edge of the barrel to the medial regions thereof. A similar series of ribs 36 extends from the rear edge of the barrel and meets the strips 35 'in end-to end relationship. A circular baille plate -31is centered in the barrel and extends transversely thereof medially of the ribs 35, it being secured in position by means of brackets 38. 'A ringlike baffle 39 extends transversely of the barrel medially thereof and' is securedY in place by second circular 'baiile 4| similar to the baille 31 is secured in position by brackets 42 medially of the ribs 36. f i

Referring now to Fig. 4, the ribs 36 are pro-V vided with longitudinal dove-tail slotsV 43 therein in which are slidably and removably received a` plurality of polishing brush units 44. The brush 44 occupy positions in close proximity to each other and provide in effect a polishing brush lining for the interior of thebarrel 24 coverin the entire rear half'thereof.

Referring now to Fig. 3, an apron. 45 is secured to the hoop or ring 26 and is provided with a central opening 46 through which the bottle vcaps or other plastic articles may be introduced tothe barrel. A casing 41 is secured to the frame or carrier Ill near the bottom of the apparatus and is provided with hinged sections 48'to facilitateinspection or adjustment of the barrel 24.'

The apron 45 projectsthrough an opening 49 in the casing" at the forward side of the appayratus. A portion of the casing 41 at the rear side thereof is offset as at 50 to provide a clearance for the bottle caps or otherplastic articles issu- ,ing from the Abarrel 24 at the rear thereof. The bottle caps or other articles are projected against I contact with the ribs 35 and into. contact with this offset portion 50 and fall by gravity through ,an opening 5I andarethus discharged from the The top I8 of theI platform I6 is provided with a central opening. 52 therein (Fig. 3) through which flash removed from the bottle caps or other articles falls by gravity and is received in a drawer 53 supported therebeneath on the transy 'lvers'evcross-pieces I3.

In the operation= of the apparatus, the bottle caps or other articles are introduced into the rotating barrel 24 at the Vfoward end thereof` through the opening 46 in th apron 45 and fall by gravity onto the ribs 35 by means of which they are. caused to tumble haphazardly in the space existing between the baille 31 and the forward end of the barrel. While so tumbling, the. caps ilow generally towardly the rear of the bar-- rel, passing beneath'the bale 31 and-over the ring-like baffle 39 and into Icontact with thebrush units ,44. While in the forward region of the barrel, the caps come forcibly into repeated each other and the relatively fragile flash existing on the same is broken loif and falls through the perforations 25 and is received in the drawer 53. After the caps have moved into the rear region of the barrel, they are effectively polished by means of the brush -units 44 with which `they come into repeated contact and, after passingl i under the baille 4I they are ejected through the opening 5I'.

In the modied form of barrel construction shown in Figs. 6 and 7, the internal longitudinal; lyextending' ribs 35 and 36.' have been omitted and no provisionis made for polishingthe caps or other articles by a brushing operation. A series of agitating members 60 inthe form of ribs that are triangular in cross-section extends from the'forward edge of the barrel'24' rearwardly a short distance and insures adequate and forcible 'agitation of the bottle'caps orother articles at the outset. A series of spirall vanes BI extends vfrom the rear edge of the barrel 24 forwardly a short distance' and, in addition, to additionally agitate the articles, assists in impelling the articles toward the dischargepopening 5I'. v

`It is to be noted thatthe rate of travel o f the articles throughv the .barrel in either form of the invention may be controlled by adjusting l'the inclination of the platform.

Modifications may be resorted to within the spirit and scopeof the appended claims. We claim: '1

1. In an apparatus for removing flash from l 2,210,5e4 v f.

articles which have been moldedfrom plastic materials, an open ended barrel'adaptedto receive therein through one open end Vthe articles Ato lbe treated and to -discharge the treated articles from theother endth'ereof, there being perforations in the wall of the Vbarrel through which iiash removedfrom .the articles is adapted to.

passby gravity, .ajbaiile ring secured'at its outer periphery tothe wallof the barrel medially thereof and over which thearticles are adapted to ow in passing from the receiving end to' the discharge end of, the barrel,and means for rotating theY barrel about a substantially horizontal axis.

2. In an. apparatus for removing flash from articles which have been- .molded from plastic materials, an open ended barrel adapted to rejceive therein through one open end the articles t to be treated and to discharge the treated artiare adapted to pass in passing from the receiving end to the .dischargeend of the. barrel, and means for rotating the barrelabout a substantially horizontal axis. l A

3. In an apparatus' for removing ash from articles which have been molded from plastic materials, an open ended barrel adapted to receive therein through one open end the articles to be treated and to discharge the treated articles from the other endthereof, there being Aper-A forations in the wall of the barrel through which flash removed from the articles is adapted to pass by gravity,- a baille ring secured at its outer lperiphery to theV wall of the barrel medially thereof andover .whichthe articles are adapted to ow in passing'ffrom the receiving end to theV discharge end of the barrel, means for rotating the barrel about a' substantially horizontal axis, and a plurality of polishing brushes projecting radially inward from the -wall of the barreLrearwardly of said baiiie ring.

4. 'In an apparatus for Aremoving flash from articles which have been molded from plastic materials, `an open ended' barrel adapted to receive'therein through one open end the articles to be treated and to discharge the treated articles from the other end thereof, there being perforations in the wall of the barrel through which iiash removed from thevarticles is adapted to pass .by gravity, a baiiiering secured at its periphery to the wall of the barrel medially thereof and over which the articles are adapted to flow in passing from the receiving end to the discharge end of the barrel, a baiii'e plate disposed in the barrel and havingits periphery spaced from the wall of the barrel and around which articles are adapted topass' in passing from the receiving end to the discharge end of the barrel, means for rotating the barrel about a substantially horizontal axis, vand aA plurality of polishing brushes projecting radially inward from the wall of the barrel rearwardly of said baille ring.

LAWRENCE G. nnEMAN. STEPHEN T. ivroREIlrlNr.4 JOSEPH B. POTQCZKY. 

